CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Nigeria is one of the developing countries of the world yet at the fringe of industries development, but the huge internal market and the vast resources base both human and material are so formidable that local and foreign investors should be tumbling over each other in advancing the peace of industrial development.

At this point one may ask, what are the restraining factors? First on the list of these factors is smuggling which is going to be main research topic of this project.

One of the measure taken by General Ibrahim Babangida the former President of Nigeria and also regime of Gen. Sani Abacha to accelerate the growth of local industries is the widespread ban on importation of raw materials and certain classes of goods which was seen to be detrimental to the growth of our local industries. If must be admitted that this measure conflicts with the interest of foreign experts and home importers so it was easy to speculate that every effort would be made by them to render it nugatory. The measure was generally welcomed by, the private sector and should have assisted local industries to grow and expand, if properly enforced. However, the act of some unscrupulous men through of our local industries.

There have been reports of large scale smuggling of goods in and out of the country.